


...And the Benefits of Honesty

by GrumpyJenn



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Honesty, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-30 22:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5182673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyJenn/pseuds/GrumpyJenn





	...And the Benefits of Honesty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Struckk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Struckk/gifts), [AerynB](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerynB/gifts).



_Dr. Jacob Stone_

Jake sighed to himself. He’d better tell her, now, before the honesty kick wore off.

He hadn’t realized, and he hoped to God that Cassie would understand that he hadn’t meant to hurt her, he’d never, not on purpose. But there had been that beat, just the slightest hesitation before she’d told him to forget it.

Forget the hurt in the huge blue eyes? Not very damn likely.

Not if he was honest with himself.

So Jake levered himself out of the chair, but Cassie beat him to the punch, coming into the room and putting a soft hand on his arm. He started to sit, and then got up again to help her with the heavy chair she was dragging over to sit beside him. “I… Jake, I need to talk to you,” Cassandra said hesitantly as she settled into the chair. “About today. As long as we’re being honest, I wanted to tell you…” she trailed off, looking uncertain.

He smiled at her. “Me too,” he admitted. “But you go first.”

“I… I just wanted you to know, when I said why I went off on my own? After Peru?” He nodded encouragingly and took her hands into his to still the wringing. She looked away. “I… it wasn’t _you_ I needed to prove myself to. It was Ezekiel and Eve and even Jenkins. You… Jake, you’re my best fri—“

Jake felt choked up for the fourth or fifth time that day, but he interrupted. “Don’t say that, darlin’. I don’t deserve it.”

But she was searching his face now, and she freed one hand to hush him with her fingers. “Yes,” she said softly. “You do. Jake, you were the first person in my whole life who has seen… well, _me_. Not a child genius or a freak or an asset to be protected or a liability to be dealt with. Just a _person_.”

“Baird and Jones, they see you as a person, Cass.”

“They do _now_. But you were the first. And even after I betr… after the Crown…” The blue eyes filled with tears and Cassandra’s voice choked up.

“Now it’s my turn, honey,” Jake found himself murmuring, and he pulled her into a hug. “That’s what I wanted to say. I… dammit, honey, I’m so sorry. I don’t think I realized – not really – that you _did_ earn back that trust, months ago, and I…” Now it was his turn to falter and she pulled away to look at him. So he found the courage to finish. “I didn’t understand how much that must’ve hurt you, that I didn’t tell you that you have my trust, until today when I felt…” He choked up again as she smiled brilliantly up at him through tears.

“You felt like someone you trusted attacked you,” Cassie said softly.

Jake felt himself relax. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Cass.”

“Told you to forget it. I meant that.”

“Won’t forget it,” Jake said, voice hoarse. “But I’ll try not to beat myself up too much.” He took a deep breath and stood up, shoving his chair back and drawing her to her feet. “We good, Cassie?”

“We’re good.”


End file.
